Elections stir ghosts of Iraq's sectarian past

Shafaq News

2 days ago

Shafaq News
Sectarian rhetoric is re-emerging in Iraq's political discourse ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for November 11, 2025. Once synonymous with civil strife and foreign interference, its renewed intensity has alarmed officials, lawmakers, and religious leaders.
Many now warn that its return threatens Iraq's already fragile social cohesion, prompting urgent calls for swift legal reforms and firm institutional action before deeper divisions take hold.
The resurgence is not viewed as coincidental. Analysts and observers draw a direct line between the rise in sectarian discourse and the looming elections, accusing certain political factions of deliberately weaponizing identity politics to galvanize fractured constituencies. Critics argue this approach revives the wounds of Iraq's darkest periods and threatens renewed fragmentation. As MP Thaer al-Jubouri told Shafaq News, 'Politicians without achievements resort to inflaming sectarian divisions to stay in power. They appeal to those who lack national and religious understanding—using sectarianism as a tool of power, not unity.'
Al-Jubouri urged the Council of Representatives to pass legislation criminalizing sectarian incitement and pressed the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to disqualify candidates who engage in such rhetoric. 'Sectarianism is something we only overcame with great difficulty,' he remarked, 'and it remains a tool of occupation to divide the country.'
Broader Electoral Context and Democratic Implications
Iraq's post-2003 political structure has operated under an informal ethno-sectarian power-sharing system known as Muhasasa. This arrangement typically assigns the Prime Minister's post to a Shia, the Parliament Speaker to a Sunni, and the Presidency to a Kurd.
Political parties are generally organized along sectarian and ethnic lines. Shia factions such as the Sadrist Movement (now the Patriotic Shiite Movement) and Fatah Alliance participated primarily within Shia constituencies. Sunni parties like Taqaddum and Azm competed in Sunni-majority areas. Kurdish representation was led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Demographic Tensions and Political Calculations
Iraq's population, which now exceeds 46 million according to the Ministry of Planning, is ethnically and religiously diverse. Based on estimates from the US Department of State's 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, the majority of Iraq's Muslim population is Shia, comprising 55 to 60%, while Sunnis represent about 40%—roughly 24 % Arab, 15 % Kurdish, and 1 % Turkmen. Minority communities include Christians—Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians—whose numbers have dropped to fewer than 150,000 from around 1.5 million before 2003, largely due to conflict and displacement. Other religious minorities include Yazidis and Sabean-Mandaeans.
Ethnically, the population is primarily Arab, followed by Kurds in the north, with smaller communities such as Turkmen, Assyrians, Shabaks, and Armenians.
Historical grievances and longstanding power imbalances between these groups have often been exploited by political actors. This divisive legacy continues to provide fertile ground for sectarian rhetoric, particularly during moments of electoral vulnerability.
A Painful History Rekindled
After the 2003 invasion, Iraq descended into years of bloodshed between Sunni and Shia communities, marked by bombings, assassinations, and ethnic cleansing. Baghdad and other mixed cities were flashpoints, while extremist groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq—and later ISIS—exploited these fractures for recruitment and domination.
The civil war of 2006–2007 represents a tragic peak, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. While estimates vary, it is believed that hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their lives during this period. UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq) reported civilian casualty rates in the thousands per month at the time. This violence left deep scars and entrenched distrust, making today's revival of sectarian narratives especially dangerous.
State Measures and Legal Ambiguity
The Iraqi government has recently taken visible, though arguably overdue, steps to confront sectarian incitement. The Ministry of Interior 's Offensive Content Committee announced 'firm and decisive' action against instigators of division, and on June 30, launched proceedings against mosque preacher Uday al-Ghariri and poet Abdul Hussein Hayal al-Hatimi for promoting hateful content online. Earlier this year, journalist Salam Adel was also prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Sunni community.
Momentum is also building for legislative reform. On June 28, MP Hamid al-Shiblawi initiated a signature campaign to draft a law explicitly criminalizing sectarianism. This echoes a March proposal by Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who advocated for legislation and called for the removal of online content promoting division. In a public statement, al-Mashhadani warned of the dangerous intersection between electoral campaigns and the mobilization of sectarian sentiment amid broader regional volatility.
While legislative efforts are advancing, Iraq's existing legal framework already addresses sectarian incitement. Article 200 of the amended Penal Code criminalizes sectarian or ethnic hate speech as a threat to state security, with penalties of up to seven years in prison. Article 372 allows for imprisonment or fines for insulting religious beliefs or symbols.
However, legal experts argue that implementation remains flawed. Mohammed Jumaa, a legal analyst speaking to Shafaq News, criticized the misuse of Article 372 for sectarian cases. 'These are not misdemeanors,' he contended. 'They should be prosecuted under Article 200 as felonies. Iraq needs deterrent action against anyone who incites sectarianism.' Inconsistent application, he warned, fuels impunity and undermines state efforts to contain the phenomenon.
Religious Authorities Push Back
Prominent religious leaders have added their voices to the campaign against sectarianism. Sheikh Muhammad Khalil Ibrahim, representing the religious establishment in Baghdad, emphasized to Shafaq News that sectarianism remains a tool of foreign domination.
Stressing Islamic principles, he underscored the obligation to protect any person who proclaims the shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith) and urged unity across the Muslim world.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mustafa al-Bayati, head of the Association of Imams and Preachers of Al-Adhamiya, underlined that Islamic ethics demand respect—even for non-believers—and condemned sectarianism as both 'religiously forbidden and nationally harmful.' He implored the state and judiciary to take firm action against offenders, reaffirming the role of religious institutions in promoting unity.